THE ASHES ON FIRE AND AUSTRALIA FAVOURITES IN RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP – PHIL STALEY'S THOUGHTS ON SPORTS

Australians love their sport – but I reckon no-one loves their sport quite like our Phil Staley. Indoor, outdoor, winter summer or somewhere in between – Phil loves it all. Stand at his desk here at ABC Far North and you get the feeling you’ve just run on to Lang Park or the MCG. Phil has a gift for talking about sport in a way that even people who can’t stand sport will enjoy.

He gets past the hype and the stats to the magic ingredient that makes sport so compelling – the people who play it and the people who love it. Phil talks about sport each Friday on ABC Far North at 5:15pm – now you can tune in online as well. Phil’s Thoughts on Sports are podcast too – search Phil Staley in your podcast app.

This week: the Ashes series is on fire – Australia’s big win in Brisbane was full of controversy, with sledging and player well-being featuring highly in the discussion. And far north Queensland legend Billy Slater is a good chance of playing in tomorrow night’s Rugby League World Cup final against New Zealand.